Romantic Things to do in Vallarta

Wondering what what romantic things to do in Puerto Vallarta? Well, you’ve come to the right place!

Malecon Xiutla Sculpture

After 2 years of a long distance relationship and being apart, I somehow managed to talk my boyfriend, Eddy, into moving to Puerto Vallarta with me for his summer break. In the two years since we met, I’ve lived in Michigan, Chicago and Puerto Vallarta all why he stayed put in Mexico City.

Our time together was definitely a honeymoon and incredible (as long as the dishes were made and trash taken out, of course!) We had been waiting for this for so long and finally we were together, savoring every moment and creating as many memories as possible to make up for lost time. Recently, I’ve had friends and tourists ask me what there is to do in Puerto Vallarta that is romantic hoping I would have the perfect answer. So, I’ve put together a list of things I would recommend to my friends and tourists to do that I think was our most romantic moments.

For Beach Bums: Living a stones throw from Playa Camarones, we surpisingly never visited. Our beach of choice was Los Muertos and our spot most specifically, El Dorado. El Dorado is a trendy restaurant and beach club that isn’t overly crowded. My favorite part is the camastros (beach chairs) that were literally just cushions right on the sand with propped up backs. Eddy and I would put our cushions side by side, lay out our towels and lay together just watching the waves roll in. Watching the sunset here is truly spectacular, and when it gets dark, two large bonfires light up on the sand. During high season, there is a 500 pesos consumption minimum, which will get you a few drinks, an appetizer, and two meals- making for the perfect day at the beach.

El Dorado Beach Club

For Authentic: Want to know what the locals do? Easy. A stroll on the Malecon, hand in hand, admiring all the different spectacules. The Papantla flyers, the beyond-this-world sand sculptures, the Sand Man, the rock builders, charactures, and my favorite, the clowns. Everyday you’ll see a crowd watching the clowns, and it’s something I think everyone should do while in Vallarta. Grab an elote (corn) and some fresas (strawberries), pop a squat, order some tuba, and enjoy the show. It’s okay if you don’t understand Spanish, you’ll get most of it anyways- especially the mime!

If this option doesn’t work for you, there is always the movies. Now I know what you’re thinking, why would I come all the way to Mexico to go to the movies? But let me tellyou, Mexico’s theaters are amazing! Puerto Vallarta now has (5) theaters, so clearly the locals enjoy a good flick, but the best part is most of them have VIP sections equipped with leather recliners, side tables, a waiter, premium snacks, and sometimes even a blanket! Now, I’ve never been to any theater like that in the states, it is truly a cool experience.

Vallarta Zoo for Upclose Encounters

For Partiers: I’m not going to lie, a night out on the town to the bars in Vallarta is crazy expensive, but we made some our best memories from these nights. On special occasions, we would hit the strip of bars on the Malecon because we liked the options of being able to bar hop. We would start with a “pre pre-game” by grabbing at litro (liter) at Party Lounge for our walk to our “pre-game” bar of choice, Hilo . Hilo, with their extravagant sculputres, never had a cover, always a good amount of people (both locals and tourists) and decent prices for a drink. From there, it’s your choice. We would either wander to The Zoo, Roo, or Mandala, only choosing which one to go in by what jam the DJ was spinning (always the latest billboard hits). At the end of the night, we always ended up at Punto V because I’m a sucker for Mexican pop music! All of these bars on the Malecon are decorated to a tee, elaborate fixtures and dramatic lighting making it a great atmosphere… not to mention there are always nice booths you can snuggle in.

Mandala Night Club

For Adventurers: Rent a car and go discover the Pacific Coast! Eddy and I have tried to take as many road trips as possible while he was here, it was great to just hop in the car and get lost, (but I recommend you bring a map!) A tip? I’ve spent hours researching all the car rental companies here in Vallarta and in the end our choice was always National. They always had great rates (final price 45$ dollars), never charged us extra because we were under 25, often gave us free upgrades, and the cars were always in great condition. They even offered to shuttle us all the way home after drop-off even though we were locals. There is a lot to discover all directions out of Vallarta. To the south is Costa Alegre and north Riviera Nayarit, all lined with amazing beaches. The farthest north we got was to an old Magic Town, Mexcaltitlán. To the inland you have Tequila and Guadalajara, Guadalajara is definitely an overnight trip but Tequila is do-able in one day. We learned a lot about each other on these road trips, mostly that I’m a horrible singer and he hates my i-Pod selections, but it was always a lot of fun!